Administrator's Blog

Kalamazoo County Animal Services and Enforcement Department (ASE) is excited to announce the official opening of its new animal shelter at 1316 Lamont Street in Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo County Animal Services & Enforcement invites the public and press to an open house on Saturday, November 23^rd between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Please join us, tour the facility, and meet the animals!

The new animal shelter spans 16,510 square feet and can house up to 106 dogs and 74 cats at any given time. The new facility places emphasis on the health and care of the animals with a veterinary exam and treatment room, a grooming room, outdoor walking and exercise areas, a food preparation room, and two group cat rooms. A new HVAC system circulates 100% fresh air 8 times every hour. An entire wing is dedicated to adoption services with bright and cheery meet and greet rooms guaranteed to bond pets to their people.  New office hours at the animal shelter will include Saturdays.

Construction on this long anticipated project received approval by the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners in July of 2018 allocating $5,000,000 for the project budget, with final cost coming in at $4,800,000.  Construction on the facility began in August of 2018.  The new facility replaces the 6,000 sq. ft. shelter built in 1984, which lacked the space and current tools and technologies to accommodate the more than 3,000 animals it serves per year. 

“My heart is full knowing that some of our most vulnerable- our stray animals- will have a clean, safe and more healthy environment to live in while they await adoption,” stated County Board Chair Julie Rogers. “As a health provider, my favorite feature is the state-of-the-art HVAC system that exchanges air multiple times per hour and vents each cage’s air directly outside. It should go a long way toward decreasing the spread of disease amongst our animals. Please come visit our new facility and consider adoption!”

Dave Rachowicz, Parks Director and Project Manager for the new ASE facility, and Steve Lawrence, Animal Services Director, thanked the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners, the Animal Services & Enforcement Advisory Board, the Internal Project Control team at Kalamazoo County Government, CMPH Inc., Cornerstone Construction, and the community and residents for their encouragement and support.

Posted: Tuesday, November 12, 2019